Potter Fodder

Walk the 21st century pathways of Chestnut Hill College, and
it's not a stretch to imagine the real world melting away.

In place of students in shorts and flip-flops, it's easy to
picture them in black tunics and scarves of scarlet and gold. And a far-off
maintenance building could effortlessly house a half-human, half-giant Keeper
of Keys and Grounds. And side conversations could easily address the challenges
of living among Muggles.

The wizarding world that seems to lie just under the surface
of the campus comes to the fore this weekend, with the fourth annual Harry
Potter Conference and Festival, October 16-17.

The two-day celebration evolved over time, according to the
Chestnut Hill College professors who not only watched it happen but also
contributed a key component. Dr. Karen Wendling, Assistant Professor of
Chemistry, and Dr. Patrick McCauley, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
& Philosophy, explain the genesis.

Wendling and McCauley were asked to teach an Interdisciplinary
Honors Course that addressed both of their specialties: science and religion. The
challenge proved daunting, according to McCauley, because "...we had to find a
middle ground where we could talk about major issues that weren't tilted toward
science or tilted toward religion. And so what we did was pick up epic
literature. Big works that were accessible for undergrads. So we could talk
about character and morality without being on the science or the religion side."

Harry Potter became an obvious centerpiece.

"The class culminates in a major paper that comes from the
reading of the entire seven-book Harry Potter series," explains McCauley. "Those
papers were of such high quality, that we thought ‘It's a shame that we're the
only ones reading them.' So we needed to figure out a way to present this content
to an audience. And that's where the idea of a conference originated."

Four years later, McCauley and Wendling are now capturing
the attention of serious academicians who eagerly delve into the science,
philosophy, ethos, psychology and mythology of the epic tale. The conference
has gained such notoriety that one of the plenary speakers is Skyping in from
Italy (his wife is scheduled to deliver a baby), and another is traveling from
the ivy-covered halls of Harvard to present.

This year's topics include examination of a corollary
between readers of the books and reduced instances of prejudice. The conclusion
has Wendling particularly excited.

"[The research reflects] legitimate, scientific study that
documented a statistically significant increase in tolerance and empathy in
children who had read Harry Potter," she explains. "All of a sudden we've moved
from, ‘Well, we think it does this'
to ‘We have evidence that it is
actually helping young people.'"

Positioning the discussion as a serious academic endeavor
has been something of a challenge for the Chestnut Hill faculty. "Because the
books have a reputation for being children's literature, all the serious
academics looked away," cites McCauley.

He says that when legitimate explorations of the series'
more serious implications started to be explored, efforts were dismissed. An early
conference in 2008 drew derision from the BBC. But McCauley persists in his
effort to present this content as "...real
academics." He continues: "There's a lot of conventions and fan events, but
there's not really a forum for serious analysis of the story."

The conference is part of what McCauley calls a
"three-legged stool" of a Harry Potter-themed celebration.

The college already featured an annual Quidditch tournament,
the result of wanna-be Beaters, Chasers and Keepers working through the Student
Activities office to bring the sport to campus. Yes, there are official rules,
and yes there are broomsticks, but in general, play is something of a
combination of rugby, flag football, tag and dodgeball.

The local village of Chestnut Hill, getting wind of the
tournament and the interest it attracted, piggybacked a Potter festival onto
the sport. "Every storefront is converted," says Wendling. "They change their
names to something Harry Potter-related. And they do activities out on the
street. There's scavenger hunts, readings of the books, showings of the movies,
haunted-house tours. All the restaurants get a Harry Potter-themed menu; they
had dragon wings last year It's really fantastic for kids. It's huge."

The critical mass of these two events provided the perfect
platform for the conference.

The 2015 event begins with the academic exploration of the
novels on Friday, followed by the Quidditch match and festival on Saturday.
Bringing the magical weekend to a close is a concert back on campus - at the
appropriately named Griffin's Den - that features Harry and the Potters and The
Nargeleptics. Tickets are ($15) at the door or online.

All the programming is free, with the exception of some of
the festival events that feature a nominal charge. And the general public is
welcome to come.

McCauley and Wendling believe the conference is
age-appropriate even to the books' younger fans. "We have a whole portion that
are academics, you know, tweed and worn-out leather briefcases. And we have a
cohort of college students. We also have a cohort of high-school students. We
even have grade-school kids," says Wendling.

Full details on the Harry Potter Conference are on the
college's associated site.

Conference presentations all take place in St. Joseph Hall;
its Greco-Roman rotunda exudes a decidedly magical feel.

In
fact, standing before its array of staircases, it would not at all seem odd if
several of them began to move and slide, ebbing and flowing into different
configurations as students navigated without even pausing to notice.

Author: Dan Weckerly - VFTCB Communications Manager

Dan Weckerly, VFTCB Communications Manager, has lived in Montgomery
County since 1988 but is still discovering its many treasures, which
provides the basis for The Pursuit. He is well-traveled across
the U.S. and even lived in London, but more commonly shares his
household with a wife of more than 25 years, three daughters and a boisterous
Labrador Retriever.